Machine for assembling a pin and a component



Dec. 5, 1967 H. E. ROBS ON 3,355,790

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING A PIN AND A COMPONENT Filed Aug. 1965 2Sheets-$heet 1 INU EMTOE l-lewm 'wwmp Roam/v By W A-r-rQEMEYS Dec. 5, 1967 H. E. ROBSON 3,355,790

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING A PIN AND A COMPONENT Filed Aug. 3, 1965 2SheetsShezet 2 INvEN-roQ HENRY 501mm 208mm ATTQENEZYS United StatesPatent 3,355,790 MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING A PIN AND A COMPONENT HenryEdward Robson, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, assignor to TheBifurcated & Tubular Rivet Company Limited Filed Aug. 3, 1965, Ser. No.478,789 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 4, 1964 v31,668/64 7 Claims. (Cl. 29-211) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Machine forassembling, for example, washers on a pin. The washers are fed by areciprocating member, one by one, to a position coaxial with the pin.The pin is movable by the member between a washer engaging position anda rest position.

This invention relates to machines for handling components, such asassembling washers on a pin.

According to the invention, there is provided a machine for acceptingcomponents capable of being located about a receiving pin and locatingsuch components about a receiving pin, comprising a carrier membermovable between a first position adjacent a supply station providing asupply of such components in predetermined sequence and a secondposition adjacent a receiving pin, a first slot in said member openingtowards said pin and also opening towards said supply station, a secondslot in said member at right angles to said first slot and openingtowards said pin so as to coincide with the pin or a projection thereofwhen said member is at the second position, lever means actuated as saidmember moves from the first to the scond position to retract said pinfrom a rest position in which it would otherwise coincide with saidsecond slot, and latch means operable to permit the pin to return to itsrest position so as to lie within said second slot when said memberreaches said second position; whereby a component inserted edgewise insaid first slot is located about said pin and retained thereabout whensaid member is returned to said first position.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a side elevation;

FIGURE 2 shows a partial plan view; and

FIGURE 3 shows an end view, in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 1,of the embodiment.

Referring to the drawing, the mechanism is assumed to be attached to amember 20 (which may be part of further machinery which co-operates withthe mechanism). The mechanism comprises a sliding block 2 moved by apiston 22 (eg a pneumatic piston) between a first position (as shown)and a second position adjacent a receiving pin 8. The component-handlingoperation carried out by the mechanism is to transfer Washers 28 one ata time from an inclined supply chute or track 1 to the pin 8.

The block 2 slides along a carriageway 6 on a base frame member 23 and atriangulanshaped lever 7, pivoted at 9, projects upwardly through anopening in the bottom of the carriageway in the path of a latch carriedby the block 2. The latch 5 is pivoted at 5a and is free to pivotupwardly in a clockwise direction, against the force of a return spring5b, but is locked against anticlockwise movement beyond the positionshown in FIGURE 1. The pin 8 is vertically slidable in a barrel 24 andis spring loaded to a rest position (as shown). The lower end 8a of thepin is engaged by a projection 7a of the lever 7 so 3,355,790 PatentedDec. 5, 1967 that pivoting of the lever causes the top end of the pin toretract from the rest position a short distance into the barrel.

The block 2 supports a carrier member in the form of an upper extensionarm 25 at the end of which is a finger 26 hinged to the arm at 27. Asbest seen from FIGURE 2, the finger is spring-loaded, by a spring 10,towards the opening of a first slot 4 (FIGURE 1) in the end of the arm25, this slot also opening towards and being aligned with the end of thecomponent feeding chute 1 when the block 2 and arm 25 is in the firstposition shown. However, in this position the end of the finger 26 isengaged with a stop in the form of a projection 111 at the end of thechute so as to be held slightly spaced from the slot opening. Thispermits a washer to be freely inserted edgewise from the chute into theslot 4, as shown at 28a, so that the washer aperture lies across asecond slot 3 (FIG- URE 2) in the end of the arm 25, the slot 3 being atright-angles to the slot 4.

In operation, with the block 2 in its first position the piston 22 isactuated to slide the block towards the pin 8. The depth of the firstslot 4 is such that the washer 28a projects from the slot towards thefinger 26 so that, as the finger leaves the chute projection 1a itcloses on, and retains, the washer. The latch 5 then strikes the lever 7which pivots so that the pin 8 is retracted. As the block 2 reaches theend of its travel, the arm 25 overlies the barrel 24 with the apertureof washer 23a aligned with the pin 8. Also, the trailing edge of latch 5clears the lever 7 so that the pin 8 is freed to spring up through thewasher aperture to its rest position. At the same time, a projectingstop 30 on the block 2 engages and pivots a lever 31 (normally sprungagainst a fixed stop 30a) which operates a valve 32 to reverse thepiston 22. As the block 2 moves away from the pin, the washer and thepin are passed sideways out of the slots 3 and 4 and the finger 26 isdeflected by the edge of the washer until it overrides the latter andsprings back against the end of arm 2-5. The latch 5 pivots clockwise tooverride the lever 7 (now returned to the position shown) so that thelatter is not moved on the return stroke.

As the block 2 reaches its first position, the finger 26 engages thechute projection 1a and a further washer moves into the slot 4. It willbe understood that the chute opening is closed by the side face of arm25, to retain the supply of washers 28, during movement of the armtowards and away from the pin 8.

The invention is not limited to the handling of washers but isapplicable to the handling of numerous like components. For example,eyelets might be handled and, in such a case, the barrel 24 might bepart of the anvil of an eyelet inserting press. Furthermore, it isenvisaged that more than one component may be inserted at a time intothe slot of the carrier member to be located in overlying relationshipon the pin.

I claim:

1. A machine for assembling a pin and a component capable of beinglocated about a receiving pin, comprising a carrier member movablebetween a first position adjacent a supply station providing a supply ofsuch components in predetermined sequence and a second position adjacenta receiving pin, a first slot in said member opening towards said pinand also opening towards said supply station, a second slot in saidmember at right-angles to said first slot and opening towards said pinso as to coincide with the pin or a projection thereof when said memberis at the second position, lever means actuated as said member movesfrom the first to the second posi tion to retract said pin from a restposition in which it would otherwise coincide with said second slot, andlatch means operable to permit thepin to return to its rest position soas to lie within said second slot when said member reaches said secondposition; whereby a component inserted edgewise in said first slot islocated about said pin and retained thereabout when said member isreturned to said first position.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said member is at thefirst position said first slot constitutes an extension of a supplychute at said supply station.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a slotclosing finger ishingedly mounted on said member and spring-loaded so as normally toextend across that opening of said first slot which is towards said pin,said finger being capable of hinging so as to override and release saidreceiving pin when said member is withdrawn from said second position.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the depth of the first slotin the direction towards the receiving pin is such in relation to thecorresponding dimension of the component being handled that a componentinserted in the slot will project from the slot; whereby the latch bearsupon and retains a component during movement of said member towards saidsecond position.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said finger is arranged toengage a stop at the supply station when said member is at said firstposition so as to be held away from the first slot sufliciently topermit free insertion of a component therein.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said car- 5 rier member isslidable along a carriageway between said first and second positions,said latch means is carried by said member, and said lever meansprojects through an opening in said carriageway to lie in the path ofsaid latch means and to be actuated thereby to retract said pin from 10its rest position.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said latch means isineffective to actuate said lever means when said carrier member isreturned to its first position.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. A MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING A PIN AND A COMPONENT CAPABLE OF BEINGLOCATED ABOUT A RECEIVING PIN, COMPRISING A CARRIER MEMBER MOVABLEBETWEEN A FIRST POSITION ADJACENT A SUPPLY STATION PROVIDING A SUPPLY OFSUCH COMPONENTS IN PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE AND A SECOND POSITION ADJACENTA RECEIVING PIN, A FIRST SLOT IN SAID MEMBER OPENING TOWARDS SAID PINAND ALSO OPENING TOWARDS SAID SUPPLY STATION, A SECOND SLOT IN SAIDMEMBER AT RIGHT-ANGLES TO SAID FIRST SLOT AND OPENING TOWARDS SAID PINSO AS TO COINCIDE WITH THE PIN OR A PROJECTION THEREOF WHEN SAID MEMBERIS AT THE SECOND POSITION, LEVER MEANS ACTUATED AS SAID MEMBER MOVESFROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND POSITION TO RETRACT SAID PIN FROM A RESTPOSITION IN WHICH IT WOULD OTHERWISE COINCIDE WITH SAID SECOND SLOT, ANDLATCH MEANS OPERABLE TO PERMIT THE PIN TO RETURN TO ITS REST POSITION SOAS TO LIE WITHIN SAID SECOND SLOT WHEN SAID MEMBER REACHES SAID SECONDPOSITION; WHEREBY A COMPONENT INSERTED EDGEWISE IN SAID FIRST SLOT ISLOCATED ABOUT SAID PIN AND RETAINED THEREABOUT WHEN SAID MEMBER ISRETURNED TO SAID FIRST POSITION.